Wow, another year has flown by! Seems like just yesterday I was penning my first “No-Spin” column of 2008! When I think of what has happened over the past year, it boggles my little indie mind. A new president has been elected, gas prices went up to $4.17 and then down to $1.50 a gallon, and the economy is in a mess! I am glad I do not have a 401k plan. It would now be a 205 and a half plan! I wonder what 2009 will bring?

One thing I know for sure is this, 2009 will bring more changes and new challenges for everyone. That includes Christian musicians and the industry who supports them. The music industry is continuing to redefine it’s business model in a drastically reduced cash flow crisis and reduced stock valuations. Demand is at an all time low for high priced CDs, and consumers would rather buy a song for less than a buck, or simply listen online for free. Couple that with artists who are OK with giving away their music for free in exchange for an email address, and finally realizing it makes better sense to retain control over their careers, you can see why I think the writing is on the wall for the old music industry. That is good and bad, as many people have already lost their jobs, and more will lose their careers soon. Even me, Mr. Indie has compassion for an industry who has treated artists like cans of oil for many years. I feel bad that their cash cows have gone to pasture. Moo. Let’s look to the future!

I recently corresponded with a new acquaintance, and we were discussing the current state of the CCM industry. He shared this disturbing outlook with me, “I was at GMA week last April with an artist friend. We were standing in the lobby watching the morass of artists crushing in to meet and greet and look important. I asked him, “How many of these artists literally don’t have $300 in their checking account right now.” He paused and said, “98%.” I know he included himself in that group. That is a stunning reality that threatens to demolish the entire Christian music world in January 09, when 75% of all CDs get returned and half of the artsts lose their record deals. No more advances, no marketing, no accounting, no warehousing, no manufacturing.”

By the way, this guy worked at one of the largest Christian record labels for 6 years. He recently penned a blog called “6 Dirty Little Secrets the Labels Don’t Want You To Know.” Email me at info@indieheaven.com if you would like me to tell you where to locate this article. It’s quite the eye opener. This guy is an insider.

What does this mean for the independent artist? The bad news is, if you are an indie artist, you won’t be getting a record deal. The good news is, “You won’t be getting a record deal!” Why is this good news? Simple, your career is now in your hands. In my opinion, the best thing indies could do for their music careers is to put them to death. What? Are you crazy, Keith? Of course I am, I’ve worked with indie artists full time the past 11 years! I’ve lost my mind! You will see why I feel this way below. It makes sense.

All kidding aside, now that the music industry is almost dead, as an independent artist, you need to put out of your mind that “sugar daddy record label” is going to discover you online, give you a 7 figure recording contract, put you on tour with Cold Play or U2, and that you are going to save the world. Woah, that’s awfully depressing and quite the run on sentence! No, it’s not, it should be FREEING to you as an artist. See, I have studied independent Christian artists for a long time, and the ones I see the most frustrated, the most depressed, the most angry and bitter are the ones who have spent their life savings and their valuable time trying to break into the music industry. No wonder they are frustrated, it was a little box to begin with years ago, and now that box is just about gone.

Can I be completely honest with you? Thanks. It is quite irrational to think that a company is going to pony up a bunch of money to pay living expenses, recording/production costs, marketing/promotion and buy an unknown independent artist onto a tour. I continue to learn about independent artists who put all their eggs into that basket and who hope and pray someone will save them from indie hell. Meanwhile, they are not holding down a paying job, they hang online all day and night adding friends on social networking sites, they play and vote for their own songs to run them up music charts found on the gajillion indie music sites (including my own indieheaven.com). This drives me crazy!

If I can be really, really honest with you, the very best thing an indie artist can do these days is to get a job, pay their bills, provide for their family, and get better in every facet of their lives. This could include music. This doesn’t mean sit around and write songs all the time or sit online trying to get discovered. It may mean taking a class on biblical studies to learn how to be a better minister. It could mean giving your time at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter. It could be laying down your music for a season and taking time to enrich your own life. Pray more! Read the Word more! Get into community with like minded people who are on similar missions to learn from those who have gone before you and learned valuable lessons. (www.indieheaven.com/network). Attend our CIA Summit conference in late March to network, learn, and share your music! (www.ciasummit.com). Hah, I had to get in some shameless self promotion in this article somewhere:)

I adhere to the K.I.S.S. philosophy. No, not the rock group, for me, this acronym stands for, “Keep it simple, Saints!” When the going gets rough, I say simplify. Do not make rash decisions that can cause you hardship. It’s not a good time to quit your job thinking that God has called you to tour full time and sing at coffeehouses. It’s not a good time to mortgage your house to buy a new P.A.System for the band, or a new truck to haul your old P.A. system in. It’s not a good time to pay a “so called” record label $10,000 to record a few new songs.

It is a great time to change the way you think about your Christian music mission! Don’t think that you need to have a record deal to fulfill your destiny in Christian music. It is a great time to get very real about what you are desiring to do and why you want to do it. Do not think you need to tour North America to be taken seriously by ex-industry people, who are clamoring for clients. Do not think you need to pay a publishing company to be your “record label.” Do not think you need to have a manager when there is nothing to manage. Do not think you need a booking agent when you can’t book yourself for a concert in your own town. All of these things are driven by one common activity. Pride. Pride Records is always looking for new artists to sign. I encourage you to turn down this deal. This deal will lead to disappointment and a thinner wallet.

I have another friend who was in a group who recently left one of the big three labels. I asked him what was the most important thing he learned from his time in the industry machine. He replied, “I would just encourage artists to not join a scene or try to get into a record deal or anything exclusive for the purpose of being a part of something. Stay unique and engaging and people will come to you. You should be the one who decides what path you want to follow. One thing that Jason Roy from Building 429 told me has stuck with me for a while now. He told me that no one is going to work harder for YOU than YOURSELF. Don’t depend on labels, agents, managers, whoever to make you a success. They will always move on to the next big thing, thats how the business works.”

Interesting words from a guy who worked hard for years playing with indie bands, and then joined a band who was signed to a major label. You see, being independent is being free. You have control over your music and career. You may never be a household name or perform on the main stage at MegaJesus-Fest. However, that does not mean God is not with you, or that you are not valid. Sure you are. You just need to change the way you think about your music mission and how you go about it. You need to be OK with being unknown. You need to be alright with being independent.

So, my first article of 2009 ends with this; I CHALLENGE you to CHANGE the way you think about what you are aspiring for, and how you are accomplishing the mission God has set before you. Create your music and do your mission simply because you love to do it, not for what you think you might get out of it. When you are free from the commercial limitations of the music industry, you can create with true freedom! Isn’t this what it’s all about? Freedom brings creativity!
Let’s Be Independent… together!
keith mohr